1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to surgical instruments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to cleaning devices for use with percutaneous visualization devices.
2. Background of Related Art
Some surgical procedures, namely laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and endoscopy, require the insertion of a visualization device into a body cavity. During such procedures, surgeons use visualization devices, such as laparoscopes, arthroscopes and endoscopes, to observe features and structures within a body cavity. The view provided by these devices facilitates detection of physiological anomalies within the human body.
Visualization devices typically include a rigid or flexible rod. These rods generally contain light-transmitting fibers and lenses. An external light source usually provides illumination and is ordinarily connected to a proximal end of the rod. The fibers transmit light to the distal end of the visualization device through the rod. After providing adequate illumination, surgeons can inspect the internal structure of a body cavity by observing through an eyepiece, which is ordinarily located at the proximal end of the rod. Alternatively, visualization devices include cameras disposed at their distal end. These cameras transmit video signals to a monitor electrically linked to the rod of the visualization device. Visualization devices with cameras allow doctors to perform surgical procedures while watching a monitor. Doctors, however, must follow certain steps before they can properly use a visualization device.
Before introducing a visualization device into a body cavity, doctors usually insufflate a body cavity with gas or liquid. Thereafter, a sleeve or sheath, often referred to as a trocar, is inserted through the wall of the cavity. These trocars ordinarily include a seal that prevents leakage of gas or liquid from within the body cavity. After the body cavity is properly insufflated, the visualization device is inserted through the trocar. Doctors can then view the inner features of the body cavity through the visualization device disposed within the trocar.
Trocars are not necessarily operatively coupled to a specific visualization device. One trocar is often used with multiple visualization devices. To use a different visualization device, a surgeon can simply retract a visualization device positioned within the trocar and insert another visualization device through the same trocar. Alternatively, the trocar may have multiple ports.
While extracting and inserting a visualization device, bodily fluids and debris can enter the inner portions of the trocar. These fluids and debris may stick to the surfaces of the newly inserted visualization device and soil the lens thus reducing visibility through the lens.
The most common approach to dealing with obscured lenses has been to remove the visualization device and to manually clean it. While effective, the need to withdraw the visualization device from the trocar, clean it, reinsert it, and relocate the target, is highly inefficient and has the potential to increase the risk of infection. Others have proposed to incorporate a spray wash nozzle on the visualization device itself to permit cleaning of the lens without removing the visualization from the patient. The proposed visualization devices, however, may be relatively expensive and require the provision of irrigation passages and cleaning fluids.
For the foregoing reasons, it would be desirable to provide inexpensive devices and methods for cleaning visualization devices without removing the visualization device from the trocar.